Rotary engine.



PATENTED JULY 4, 1905. M. J. HINDEN. RDTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W\\ 4 l. Prii n/ m u m l M A m4 NIL i 1 W W In W Vf i W ATTORNEY.

INVENTOR.

M KH J WI T NESSES PATENTED JULY 4, 1905.

M. J. HINDEN.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- WITNESSES:

[NVE/V T OR.

ATTORNEY.

inc. 793,660.

NITED STATES Patented July 4, 1905.

MATHIAS J. HINDEN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 793,660, dated July 4, 1905.

Application filed July 22, 1904. Serial No. 217,657.

To all whom, it TIMI/7] concern:

Be it known that I, MATHIAS J. Human, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines; and I do declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvemen ts in rotary engines; and the invention consists in the construction and combination of parts substantially as shown and described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a cross-sectional elevation of the engine on a line corresponding substantially to m m, Fig. 2; and Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the valvechamber and valve on line 51 1 Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section on line 2 .2, Fig. 1, looking toward the left; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the piston and its shell. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the sliding follower, which separates the inlet frorn the exhaust, as will hereinafter more fully appear; and Fig. 6 shows the valve and the yoke connected therewith.

In the construction of engine thus shown the idea is to provide an engine with the fewest possible number of parts and simplicity of construction and operation combined with a maximum power and speed for the amount of steam or motive agent that may be employed; and to this end the invention consists in an engine havingasuitable cylinder-casing A, a piston C therein, and a shaft B, upon which the piston is splined, so that piston and shaft will rotate together. The piston itself is of peculiar formation, having successive elevations c and depressions or steam-spaces c alternately, and all of which are more or less rounded in external formation, particularly the elevations c, which close against the side of the cylinder and take the steam impact as they successively come to acting position and serving the purpose of the usual blades or the like for the steam to act upon and promote rotation of the piston. The

said elevations 0 and depressions e, alternating, as they do, provide each elevation with a depression behind it to receive a volume of steam which enters from above and exerts a forward pressure against said elevation, and thus rotates the piston.

The casing A is provided with a head a over cylinder at, in which are two passages 2 and 3, respectively, entering the steam-cylinder'from the valve-chamber 4 in the top of the said head, and in this chamber is located a sliding hand-controlled valve D, having a head (I of its own and a yoke d free about or upon said head rigidly engaged by stems (Z extending laterally at each side and adapted to be gripped by the hand outside the casing to move the valve to eitherside over either of said passages 2 and 3 and the immediate steam-exhaust5 centrally in the top of the said head. PassageQis shown as covered in by said valve in Fig. 1, the bottom of the valve being made concave for this purpose. This leaves valve D free to be pressed down by the steam tight upon its seat, so as to effectually close it over the outlet beneath and is not held up by stems d ber through inlet-pipe 6 or the opening onto the top of said chamber, as here shown, and has free course to the steam-cylinder a through either passage 2 or 3, as the case may be and according as the piston is to be rotated in one direction or the other. As shown, the steam enters the cylinder through passage 3 and the passage 2 is for the time being the exhaust.

Centrally in the lower portion of the head cl there is a transverse chamber or space 7 with parallel side walls open to the cylinder (0 and containing a sliding follower F, having a roller 8, adapted to ride upon the periphery or surface of piston O and keeping close to or upon the said piston in all its rotations and variations and at all speeds thereof and effectually separating the live steam from the dead or exhaust steam on the other side. Steam-pressure is maintained over the follower F through small passages 10 from the valve-chamber above, and the roller 8 is journaled in oblong openings in the bearings or supports f at its ends, so that it may have all the requisite play in respect to the body of the follower and the surface of the piston to Steam enters the valvechammaintain the closest contact with both and prevent leakage of the steam into the exhaust. The piston O has light sheet-metal plates or flanges c fixed to its sides and which are per-- fectly round and fit closely all around their edges to the wall of the cylinder and are fixed closely by screws or otherwise to the sides of the piston (Land the roller 8 on follower F runs between these flanges or plates as the piston rotates. These thin flange-plates form walls at the sides of depressions c of the piston and serve to confine the steam thereto and prevent its creeping away, especially down into the interior of the piston, to which there is otherwise a very shallow wall, and said plates can be replaced when they become worn. Being thin, the steam presses them laterally and makes them serve as a metallic packing. Then in addition to these there are packing-plates 9 on the sides of the cylinder outside of the flanges 0 and set into the sides of the cylinder, as seen in cross-section, Fig. 3, which take the wear from plates 0" and follower F and likewise are removable. Plates 0 are in reality thin flat rings, the outer edge 12 of each ring fitting snugly and true within and against the inner circumferential wall of cylinder a and the inner edge 13 of each ring, making a true fit around a circular boss or hub 14 of side walls 15 of cylinder-casing A. These rings make an effective steamtight piston, and there is no loss of steam from one to another of the steam-pockets opposite each depression 0'.

It will be noticed that steam-passages 2 and 3 are arranged one at each side of the vertical center of the engine, as viewed in Fig. l,with follower F central. New starting of the engine may simply be had by opening the usual throttle-valve (not shown) attached to pipe 6 and piston C will rotate at once no matter what its position within cylinder a. Steam entering at one-side of the vertical center will act at once upon the wings or faces of piston C to rotate the piston. In the event of closure of the steam-inlet passage by an elevation c follower F, whlch ls'constantly under live-steam pressure, will ride roller 8 down the incline ing curved elevations and depressions alternately on its outer surface and the said elevations in contact with the side of the cylinder,

in combination with a follower between said inlet and outlet ports and a roller mounted on said follower at the bottom thereof and riding on said piston, said follower slidably supported at its ends to afford free play up and down and insure steam-tight relations, substantially as described.

2. In rotary engines, a cylinder and a piston therein having alternate elevations and depressions about the same and sheet-metal packing-disks fixed to the sides of said piston and covering the inner sides of the cylinder, whereby a rotating packing is secured at each side to prevent the creeping away of steam, substantiall y as described.

8. In rotary engines, a cylinder having inlet and exhaust ports and a follower slidably supported between said ports, a piston having elevations running in contact with the side of said cylinder and depressions out of contact therewith and sheet-metal packing-plates at the sides of the piston providing flexible side walls for said depressions, and the said follower provided with a roller running between said packing-plates,substantially as described.

4. In rotary engines, a cylinder and removable packing-plates in the sides thereof, in combination with a piston having alternate elevations and depressions on its working surface and flexible packing-plates secured to the sides of the piston opposite the said plates in the cylinder and forming walls at the sides of said depressions, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

MATHIAS J. HINDEN 

